AS9100 CERTIFICATE FOR TENCATE ADVANCED ARMOR USA

TenCate Advanced Armor is pleased to announce the achievement of the designated aerospace AS9100 certification for its manufacturing and program office facilities in Hebron, Ohio. This certification strengthens TenCate Advanced Armor’s competitive position and standardizes quality, reliability and safety processes across its aerospace and defense programs.

With the award of the AS9100 certification, TenCate Advanced Armor has positioned itself as one of the only vertically integrated manufacturers of armor and force protection equipment in the United States operating under this stringent standard. Attaining the AS9100 certification is a major strategic achievement for TenCate Advanced Armor and has entailed increased attention to continuous improvement, operational control, supplier performance as well as quality management, processes, and procedures. The achievement marks another milestone in TenCate Advanced Armor’s enterprise to build a survivability manufacturing center-of-excellence at its facilities in Hebron, Ohio.

“Moving to the AS9100 quality standard made sense based on who TenCate Advanced Armor’s customers are,” said Todd Dunnagan, Vice President – Sales and Business Development at TenCate Advanced Armor. “Many of our customers supply the aviation industry and the DoD. Adopting the same quality management system that our customers use will provide both transparency and confidence that they are receiving the highest quality lifesaving equipment available. AS9100 will provide us the necessary metrics to not only measure our performance as a supplier, but it will also allow a streamlined means of continuous improvement to all of our employees, resulting in the best product for our customer today and in the future.”

AS9100 was developed by NASA, the DoD, and the FAA, and is managed by the International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG). This standard is strongly supported and adhered to by major aerospace OEMs and is being required by vendors within the supply chain on an increasing basis.

TENCATE ADVANCED ARMOR AT HAI HELI EXPO

Meet TenCate Advanced Armor and its aerospace team

TenCate Advanced Armor will attend the 2018 edition of the HAI Heli Expo in Las Vegas from 26 Feb.-1 Mar. TenCate Advanced Armor will be there to forward its new capabilities as an AS9100 certified manufacturer of survivability equipment and establish itself as a vertically integrated developer and manufacturer of ASE.

Meet us at stand C3639 and learn how TenCate Advanced Armor USA can support platform providers with aircraft survivability equipment and engineering services.

HAI Heli Expo

TENCATE ADVANCED ARMOR TO PARTNER WITH SAIC, CMI, AND ST KINETICS

TENCATE ADVANCED ARMOR TO PARTNER WITH SAIC, CMI AND ST KINETICS ON THE MOBILE PROTECTED FIREPOWER (MPF) PROGRAM

On November 21st, the US Army issued an RFP for an all new combat vehicle, Mobile Protected Firepower (MPF). The US Army wants to field this system as fast as possible, so they want proven technology. SAIC is pursuing this opportunity and has partnered with CMI and ST Kinetics for the chassis (Mobile) and turret (Firepower) components. SAIC then had a competition to determine the best armor (Protected) partner for this program. TenCate Advanced Armor was chosen out of seven candidates based on proven lightweight add on armor solutions to work with SAIC and the other partners on the program.

Based on ST Kinetics’ Next Generation Armored Fighting Vehicle (NGAFV) chassis and a CMI Defence turret, SAIC will compete for an Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) contract to build prototypes that incorporate a lightweight combat vehicle design while still providing mobility for Army units. Such a vehicle will enable freedom of movement and action, specifically for restrictive, urban operations but tailorable for full-spectrum combat environments.

The SAIC partnership with TenCate Advanced Armor for the MPF program underlines TenCate Advanced Armor's capability as a global strategic partner for survivability solutions as well as TenCate Advanced Armor's proficiency in developing, integrating, and manufacturing the lightest survivability suites available in the market including add-on armor systems which have been fielded on numerous modern combat and tactical platforms across the world. The partnership with TenCate Advanced Armor also includes a partnership with TenCate Advanced Armor's survivability engineering service company TenCate Advanced Armor Design which will collaborate in the design, development, and integration phase as it holds the security clearance to operate on DoD programs.

SAIC’s entry into the MPF competition builds on continued momentum in combat vehicle modernization, to include the company’s recent collaboration with the Detroit Automotive Technologies Consortium (DATC) and the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) to assist in the development of the next-generation combat vehicle - experimental prototype (NGCV-EP). This recent success expands upon SAIC’s proven experience in modernizing combat and tactical vehicles including Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles for the Army, and Amphibious Combat Vehicles 1.1 (ACV) and Amphibious Assault Vehicles with Survivability Upgrades (AAV-SU) for the U.S. Marine Corps

Add-on armor

"TenCate Advanced Armor add-on armor solutions has been fielded on numerous modern combat and tactical platforms across the world"

TenCate Advanced Armour is pleased to announce the launch of its new TenCate Multi-lightTM CXP461IC Basic Light plate and the additional Operator and Breacher plates. The TenCate Multi-lightTM CXP461IC Basic Light is an ultra-light plate providing protection against NIJ level III+AK47MSC in accordance with NIJ 0101.06 at only 720 g and can accommodate the Operator or Breacher plate to increase the protection level to 5.56x45 SS109 or AP ammunition up to NIJ level IV respectively.

TenCate Advanced Armour has developed a new threat compliant body armour system that can be easily adapted to accommodate different threat levels within the same system by using add on plates to the TenCate Multi-lightTM CXP461IC Basic Light plate. The two modular add on plates can be accommodated in a carrier system and be inserted or extracted to optimise the protection level of the complete system. The new body armour system is especially relevant for units operating in zones with alternating threat levels such as special forces and infantry operating in urban environments.

The TenCate Multi-lightTM CXP461IC Basic Light plate is by itself up to 25% lighter than currently marketed AK47MSC plates and reflects TenCate Advanced Armour’s commitment to decrease individual operator load while providing essential protection. The complementary plates offered in the system leverages the protective capability of the Basic Light plate to reach a protection level against higher classified threats. This provides the individual operator the possibility to tailor ballistic protection level on a mission-by-mission requirement, equips the individual operator for a broader range of operations, and decreases the need for units to inventory plates for specific operational requirements.

“I am very proud to see the TenCate Multi-lightTM CXP461IC body armour system a reality” said Cyril Veillat, Business Director, personal protection segment. He adds “the personal protection market is highly competitive. Being able to develop a plate that decreases the weight for the baseline AK47MSC plate by up to 25% is remarkable even with today’s materials available. But the setup with the complementary plates is what distinguishes this system from anything seen before. The possibility for the individual soldier to adapt his plate holds great promises for increasing individual soldier survivability across the board, and this is what we work hard for.”

TENCATE CRATUS HARD BODY ARMOR PORTFOLIO IN A NEW LINEUP

TenCate Advanced Armor introduces the TenCate CratusTM hard body armor portfolio in a new lineup, which holds a more diverse range of certifications, to match future military, law enforcement, and Federal Agency requirements. The TenCate CratusTM portfolio now includes a plate which meets the Blunt Gap Resistance Protocol specified in the Neutrally Buoyant Ballistic Plate (NBBP) NQ/PD 17-01, and the Maritime Buoyant Plate (MBP) NQ/PD 16-04 purchase descriptions. With these changes, TenCate Advanced Armor USA is a leader in the market by its products which meet the strict NBBP and MBP requirements.

The new TenCate CratusTM line provides end users with a portfolio of plates to meet or exceed current and future requirements in terms of protection level, weight, thickness, multi-hit capability, and buoyancy. To make this possible, the new TenCate CratusTM product line offers several innovative improvements to the design as well as the manufacturing process that will allow the plates to meet or exceed increasingly strict requirements.

This initiative to update the TenCate CratusTM line comes as a key initiative to increase TenCate Advanced Armor’s market presence in the Law Enforcement and Federal Agency markets. The capability to meet the NBBP and MBP requirements for body armor has required extensive innovative engineering, which TenCate Advanced Armor USA will employ to further optimize Personal Protective Products (P3) solutions, benefitting law enforcement officers and officials nation-wide. Several additional changes and extensions to the plates in the current line are planned to be added in the short term. Furthermore, the manufacturing facility, located in Hebron, Ohio, has increased capacity and modernized capability to manufacture plates.

NBBP and MBP

"TenCate Advanced Armor USA is a leader in the market by its products which meet the strict NBBP and MBP requirements"

TENCATE ADVANCED ARMOUR APPOINTS NEW VP OF SALES FOR EMEA AND APAC

Yohann Barnaud promoted to Vice president of sales and business development for EMEA & APAC

TenCate Advanced Armour has appointed Yohann Barnaud as the Vice President for Sales and Business Development for EMEA & APAC effective from December 1, 2017. Yohann Barnaud has formerly been commercially responsible for land system survivability in South Europe and MENA where he has positioned TenCate Advanced Armour as a key contributor to several large multi-year programmes.

Yohann Barnaud's appointment to his new role will see him in charge of all commercial activities in EMEA and APAC. The appointment will not affect partners and customers as all commercial representatives in EMEA and APAC will retain their responsibility for key accounts.

Please join TenCate Advanced Armour in welcoming Yohann Barnaud in his new position.

TENCATE ABDS SENTINEL X DEVELOPMENTS

Program highlights for 2017

TENCATE ABDS SENTINEL X FOR ACTIVE BLAST MITIGATION

As reported earlier in Survivability Quarterly, TenCate Advanced Armor Design received two immensely important endorsement letters from US Army commands.

US Army:

TARDEC* officially recognized and recommended the extraordinary capabilities of the TenCate ABDS Sentinel X Active Blast Mitigation System to combat the dangerous and deadly effects of IED and mine blast events while also confirming the technology's TRL6 (Technical Readiness Level) maturity, its capabilities and intended applications. Importantly, TARDEC recommended transition to the warfighter.

MCoE/TRADOC** officially endorsed the TenCate ABDS Sentinel X Active Blast Mitigation System to advance and achieve improved blast performance for military ground vehicles confirming the new survivability requirements, the capabilities and applications, and TenCate ABDS Sentinel X' extraordinary mass efficiency, along with identifying a transition path to the warfighter.

Important recognition of the technology was also received from the USMC in the PEO-LS (United States Marine Corps - Program Executive Officer - Land Systems) 2017 Advanced Technology Investment Plan which meant that the technology officially entered into the documented plans for future forces. The Marines recognized underbody blast protection as a significant focal point for improvement and investment. Additionally, Active Blast Mitigation Technologies and Autonomous Threat Protection Systems are also fully recognized in the ARMY’s 2017 30-Year Ground Vehicle Strategy Report.

Combat Vehicle Prototype (CVP):

A large portion of the $2.5M US ARMY Combat Vehicle Prototype program (the single largest government funded ABDS project to date) was completed in 2017. This project represents an important milestone because it essentially parallels the platform evaluation process for a future platform that a current and contemporary military vehicle platform would experience in order to be outfitted with an ABDS system.

The CVP is a future fighting vehicle platform but it closely resembles a number of current and near-term production platforms. So, the successful execution of this exercise sets the stage for ABDS on Vehicle platform evaluations for contemporary US Military vehicles.

Successful full-scale, live-fire blast testing has been completed and additional CVP blast tests are scheduled in early 2018. The CVP program will compete in 2018 and is expected to evolve into the NGCV (Next Generation Combat Vehicle) where TenCate will also participate and contribute to improving US & Allied Warfighter survivability.

Unique to the future platforms is the “optimization” of the ABDS system integration. Better performance with more attractive trades are the reward for designing the Active Blast Mitigation Technologies into a platform early-on in the design phases as opposed to retrofitting add-on kits to vehicles with no previous consideration for ABDS that have already been deployed and are serving in theater.

TENCATE ABDS SENTINEL X 2018 OUTLOOK

CONTEMPORARY US MILITARY PLATFORM EVALUATIONS:

Much of the ground work that has taken place with ABDS during the last few years has been aimed at introducing a new, emerging, revolutionary and disruptive technology to a sprawling, complex, skeptical, traditional and resource restricted scientific military community and been doing so during peacetime. This was a difficult, daunting and challenging enterprise. Introducing the technology was followed by education and demonstration and despite what seems like a very long time, the process has actually moved quite rapidly at perhaps 3 or even 4 times the normal speed.

The progression described above is not entirely behind TenCate Advanced Armor but it is very important to recognize that the endorsement letters from TARDEC and MCoE along with the successful completion of the CVP deliverables do represent a critical transition for the program to the next phase which is Platform Applications.

2017 witnessed extensive discussions with the US ARMY to consider an authentic ABDS on platform evaluation of a contemporary, widely deployed, blast resistant, US Military vehicle.

"I am proud to report that two platforms have been down-selected from a group of candidates and that the Program Managers (PMs) for those vehicles are engaged in the process to investigate the injury-reducing and life-saving enhance blast survivability protection potential that ABDS Sentinel X can provide for the mounted crewmembers that work inside these vehicles" says Paul Palmer, Vice President, Business Development – Active Protection Systems (ABDS) at TenCate Advanced Armor Design Inc. He adds "negotiations have been completed for the first project and contracting for a start of work in early 2018 is imminent and very high-confidence."

This will be a US government funded ABDS on platform evaluation exercise to measure the improved survivability performance that the ABDS technology can provide for an authentic blast resistant US Military platform that is in common and routine use all over the world.

A second platform evaluation project for a different commonly deployed US Military platform has also been fully documented and has been delivered upon request for Government funding review.

TARDEC Technology Display:

The US ARMY TARDEC Division, which represents the scientific technology evaluation community for new technologies that will be utilized by soldiers in theater, has a highly restricted area within the TACOM facilities in Warren, MI where they display and feature a very limited number of the emerging technologies that they believe significant and important. The audience for these new technologies are the high-level decision makers who can influence procurement and funding allocations. Senators, Congressmen, US & Allied Generals and high-ranking Businessmen. Only the very best and most important of the emerging warfighter technologies discovered or reviewed by TARDEC are represented.

TenCate Advanced Armor has been invited to place the ABDS Sentinel X system on semi-permanent display starting in 2018. This is a great achievement and provides definitive validation of the extraordinary vision, effort and capability of the TenCate Advanced Armor Design survivability engineering team in Goleta, CA.

Starting in 2018, an ABDS Sentinel X system will be on featured display along with a very small number of other state-of-the-art defense technologies, behind glass and within one of the most secure areas inside the TACOM facilities. As of this writing, the display ABDS kit has been assembled and packaged and will be delivered and set-up at TACOM in January.

TARDEC Technology Display

"TenCate Advanced Armor has been invited to place the ABDS Sentinel X system on semi-permanent display starting in 2018"